1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma generating apparatus, and in particular, to a plasma generating apparatus for generating a large quantity of plasma using slipping surface discharge (SSD) and microwave discharge.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Microwave gas-discharge plasma source are of considerable current use in a modern technique and technology for a PCVD thin films deposition, etching of a metallic and dielectric samples, activation of dielectric samples, etc. The advantages of these sources consist in a relatively pure conditions of a plasma generation and maintenance as well as in a high efficiency of microwave source energy release in a plasma formation and as a consequence in the gas medium, etc. One of the main disadvantages of this method consists in a limited choosing of a working gases and relatively narrow limits of gas pressure at which gas discharge excitation is possible.
"Slipping" discharge along the metal-dielectric surfaces also falls in category of extensively using discharges: as a source of a powerful ultraviolet radiation in a molecular lasers, as a strong shock waves generator, etc. Among of this method advantages is possibility to excite discharge essentially in all gases and gaseous mixtures in a wide range of pressure: from deep vacuum (P.ltoreq.10.sub.-6 Torr) up to atmospheric pressure. Disadvantage of method consists in particular in a principle pulse work with relatively low attainable average energy release in the gas medium.